This bimonthly Book Spotlight is titled Cause for Concern by Neil S Reddy. Honestly, I don’t know where to start with this book. Wait… For one, it’s a compilation of short stories and it’s weird. It is twisty, dirty, naughty, and refreshing. I had the honor to taste the best of the best! At least what he’s published so far. I wonder what other juicy stories he has written on his typewriter. What’s the model of your typewriter Mr. Reddy? Are you ready for this book review?
Immediately, you sense how spirited the author is. From his dedications to the last short story in the book. He doesn’t hold back. I have a theory his typewriter writes the stories and he just publishes them for it… Maybe a short story about a haunted typewriter? What I mean is that his stories inspire you while disturb you. He reminds you how reality can make little sense and how disturbing it can be.
Filo’s Folly
Jumping right in and skipping straight to the second short story in the book titled “Giles Bastet the 9th Great Heavenly Cat”. Although the whole book is dark, I have an extra sensitivity towards the mistreatment of animals and I’m so happy that Giles gave out the proper justice to those miscreants in the short story. This story is worth the read and I’m not going to give anything away. Gile’s story is quickly followed by a scientist keen on being right about his theory that men ‘s nearest ancestors are Bonobo’s and not chimps. As you begin reading Filo’s scientific journal, you realize how unnerving and brutal the experiments are. Only for it all it all to end in death and shock.
Casually, Cause for Concern flows down the path of mayhem and thorny rainbows. As you breeze through the short stories you learn a secret that men keep. It’s not a big secret, I’ve heard about it before but personally I’ve never had to expel anything into socks so I never noticed it was mostly men socks disappearing in the washers. You might be confused as to why I bring this up but it’s an important detail of “The Haunting of W.S”. As you can see, there seems to be little rhyme or reason to the progression of the stories but the author has a perfectly good reason. You just have to trust the process!
When I began reading this compilations of short stories, I didn’t read any reviews and I had no idea what genre I was getting into. The reason I say this is because this book reminded me of russian roulette. Each story was different and each situation the character was in was difficult. The perspectives you were placed into were a bit abstract and loose but eventually came together and left you amused.
Restitute
Last of all, Resitute will be one I never forget. I’m not entirely sure if this is a story that adults tell children but it’s terrifying, even if you don’t believe in the devil. This short story follows a young boy in a small town with a hard working, recently divorced mother. It’s obvious they need the money and she may feel guilty leaving him home alone but life isn’t easy when you’re a single mother.
Marcus is angry and frustrated with life but decides to take his anger out on the bathroom toilet. Hitting and slamming it only ends up waking up the devil that lives in the toilet and can grab your bum.
Yes, I’m just going to leave it there, I don’t want to ruin the book for you. Just know, it’s not the last story. There is more. I read this book in a day and when I reached the end I wanted more. Frankly, the stories can be confusing when you start them but you come to realize that you don’t read the story about the same characters twice. Each story is unique, different, and equally disturbing. This author has many books published, I’m not entirely sure if some of his books have continuations of some of the stories in this one but I think they should.
If you’d like to purchase his book, purchase the link here or if you’d like to read a different title follow his Amazon here! Check out the last book spotlight here!
About the Author:
Neil S. Reddy has been slumped over a typewriter for so long that he has been categorised as an angle-poised lamp and is often assailed by strangers trying to turn him off. He is a foul mouthed man and is well able to defend himself – he once reduced a giraffe to tears with a metaphor.
He should never be approached during the hours of darkness without a beverage. He is an outspoken opponent of everything ignorant, ugly, stupid or overpriced. He lives quietly with his family in the U.K but only because they keep him heavily sedated. He has a beard that is older than many people and contains more wildlife than many zoos. He has nothing but contempt for hamsters. He is troubled, testy and weird to the bone. He also writes stories.